Thanks for being YOU!

Prepare yourself - this will be long....

So for over a year now I have been writing down things I LOVE about my Mom in my journal so I never forget the great memories I had as a child and how great of a mom she is.  I always mean to tell her how much I love and appreciate her.  Then I got thinking she probably would like this as much as I do as I read over these things.  So what better time to blog about her than 5:30 in the morning because I can't seem to get comfortable enough to fall asleep.

Every single day I think to myself how did she do it.  She was and still is a wonder mom.  I want to do just as she did. I am now mom to Avrie a six year old independent, sweet, strong willed, terribly fashion sensed little girl.  How did she have so much patience to have 3 girls???  Never did she scream except one time -  she about hit me with my own shoe - I am sure I deserved it, always there to listen, worked hard, but I never felt you were away, if anything was wrong you were right there, you were such a hands on mom, you were the one to dare go on the roller coaster before us, we always had a vegetable with every meal meal, heck we always had a meal, you always made each one of us sisters feel that we were perfectly unique in our own way, you always encouraged us to do whatever we wanted.  Why oh why did you not pass on these wonderful traits to me???

Here is a list of little things I cherish:

• your nostrils, ha ha I know weird but when you would hold me or read to me I always felt so safe looking up knowing you were MY mom and because you knew everything there was to know about everything
• your smell (exclamation, victoria secret - Heavenly, almond lotion)
• your perfect teeth and that you are always positive and smiling
• your cooking - yeah I didn't get this from you either
• how you would put curlers in your hair before you would go to work and brush your hair with your purple comb
• How you taught us to be hard workers and that working is a good thing
• Somehow your intermountain fastner pens and jolly ranchers/tootsie rolls in your truck always made my day
• Our super fun Grandma runs singing for hours and then begging you to take off our seat belts to lay down comfortably in the back seat, but you wanted us safe and would let us
• How you fold your towels, you always had the best laundry soap
• How you would glue and paint your fake nails burgundy on the coffee table on Sunday evenings
• Whenever we got sick you would take us for a Wendy's frosty and before doctors appointments you would take me to get a McDonalds breakfast burrito
• I loved when you sing out loud to Debbie Gibson in the car
• How we had to try clothes on just to humor you and would every once in a while agree with you
• You were always keeping us busy and taking us to fun places
• KFC up the mountains and letting us ruin our pants when we slid down the mountain
• You always had your car and house clean.  And you have a spot for everything.
• You let me "rearrange" and help you just like Avrie does and you didn't ever let me know how crazy it made you
• Attempting to teach us to play tennis
• letting me have tent sleepovers even though it would ruin your perfect lawn
• Whenever something sad or happy you are who I think to call first
• Late night talks just me and you because my sisters fell asleep like 6 hours before us
• I love your skinny chicken legs and the color and freckles on your skin
• Daring to let us walk to Circle K even though now I realize you must have been a nervous wreck
• Every Valentines getting us chocolates and flowers delivered to my school
• I remember when you taught us to shuffle cards under blanket tents on the floor
• Letting us rent sing a longs and buying us baby food 
• Taking us to fun parks all over Salt Lake
• You always packed fun sack lunches for field trips
• Going to the movies and always being able to get a treat
• Introducing me to Sushi - YUM
• Always trying to make sure you have what we love when we visit you
• Our girls trips down south and family trips to Bear Lake
• How you made us feel so special on our birthdays
• Basketball out on the driveway on summer nights
• Sitting on the porch swing not even having to talk - just be
• I love how you don't like to be crafty, but then you surprise me and come up with some amazing craft
• I love how you pull your cell phone out of your back pocket and stop and plant your left foot forward.
• Walleyball and AF Recreation
• You taught me to love mowing the lawn, appreciate flower, and vacuum lines
• Letting us always choose what we thought was cool
• Teaching us that their are consequences for our actions
• I loved when you would play in the snow with us or in the summer get a blanket out on the lawn and play with us
• Going to the pharmacy in the middle of the night because I was allergic to my medicine
• I love that you called tampons firecrackers ha ha ha
• Trying to drive so careful after my surgeries
• How you would spend money when you would get mad
• Going to Hollywood Video was so fun for some reason
• Teaching us to leave anywhere you go better than it was when you got there
• You taught us how to be respectful and non judgmental
• You always put us first
• Whenever I don't know what to do - I always think what would my mom do
• I love to grocery shop with you
• I loved our cherry trees and walking in our neighborhood and smelling the grape vines
• I love how you love Disneyland and go so often.  I love it too!
• You are such a great, fun, hands on, special Grandma.  Avrie loves you and talks about you daily!
• I loved to run errands and go to stores with you.  I still do.
• We never went without EVER and always had the best toilet paper and paper towels 
• You always made holidays so much fun.  
• I love the nuts on the coffee table at Christmas time
• You send Avrie the cutest packages 
• We learned how to jump start a car in the middle of the night together
• Fun haircut times
• You always told us to call Dad and thank him after we went school shopping and other things
• You have always been there and had the best advice when I am down or up or anytime
• I love your tiny feet
• Thanks for all of the times you surprised us with groceries
• Taco Bell runs
• Sweat shirt around your waist, shorts, fanny pack, tennis shoes.... thats my momma!

The list goes on and on.  I love you, I love the example you are, thanks for being YOU!
I just hope to be half the mom you are to me!

Love you so so much!!!

Ashley